GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Kiyah Hurst and Kacie Borowicz combined for 51 points as they powered the North Dakota women's basketball team to a 75-65 win over Denver Thursday night in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
Hurst nearly matched a career-high tonight as she poured in 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. After playing just eight minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Hurst erupted for 22 of UND's 41 second half points. She was an efficient 10-of-15 from the field with three treys. Borowicz added 24 points, six boards and dished out four assists.
 
The Fighting Hawks defense led the way in the opening 10 minutes, holding Denver to 2-of-15 shooting to build up a 21-9 advantage. Hurst was on her way to a double-double early, scoring five points and grabbing six boards in the first. After Denver took an early 3-2 advantage, the Hawks rattled off a 12-1 run with points from four different UND players. UND shot 7-of-16 from the field and totaled 10 points in the paint.
 
Hurst opened the second half in a flurry, knocking down a three-pointer that snowballed into 14 third quarter points. She scored 11 of the first 13 points in the half, with three treys, as the Hawks would build up their largest lead of the contest so far, 47-31. Over a four-minute span in the middle of the period, UND rolled off a 12-0 run to go up 21 points and would take a 54-35 lead into the fourth after trading baskets over the final two minutes.
 
Denver cut the Fighting Hawk lead to single-digits multiple times in the final quarter, but the Hawks would hold off the Pioneers to earn the 75-65 lead. The Pioneers full-court pressure forced UND into eight turnovers in the fourth, leading to 16 DU points, but when the Hawks would break the press, they were nearly perfect from the floor going 8-for-9. Denver doubled its three-point total in the fourth, knocking down four treys on its way a 30-point output, but UND answered with 21 points to close out the 10-point win.
 
UND and Denver shot an identical 6-of-17 from the floor in the second quarter, with the Pioneers outscoring the Hawks by one point. Borowicz scored eight of UND's 13 in the period, including six of the last eight as they carried a 34-23 lead into halftime. She paced UND and was the first player in double-figures with 11 points in the opening 20, while Rakiyah Beal dished out four assists.
 
The Fighting Hawks return to the Betty for the final time this season on Saturday for a Senior Day matchup with Oral Roberts.
 
Postgame Notes 

• Kacie Borowicz scored her 1,900^th career point in the green and white during the first half
• Kiyah Hurst recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds
• UND won the rebounding battle, 41-33
• UND shot .889 percent from the field in the fourth quarter
• The Hawks shot .492 percent from the field, while holding DU to .379 percent
• The lead changed hands only twice in the game, and the score was never tied
• UND had more points in the paint (36-30) but DU had the edge in points off turnovers (26-9)

How It Happened 
Q1: UND 21, DU 9
Q2: UND 34, DU 23
Q3: UND 54, DU 35
Q4: UND 75, DU 65

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.